


Knight in Dark Markings

by orphan_account



Category: Devil May Cry
Genre: Angst, Because how else are you going to talk to this dork, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, Pining, Plot is a lot slower than the main game, Reader is sick, Reader-Insert, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-29
Updated: 2019-07-22
Packaged: 2020-05-28 19:07:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 17,481
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19400506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: It all began when you failed to defend yourself against the demon hoard that appeared at Red Grave City. You managed to flee, injured and dying, only to be rescued by a mysterious man in dark tattoos. However, that wasn't the end to your struggles as your survival had a consequence.





	1. First Encounters

You were there when the demons had started attacking the civilians at Red Grave City. Armed to the teeth, you and your squad were deployed in an attempt to neutralise the threat. You hadn’t been with the police force for long, but the people were desperate. They needed any hands they could get.

But this? It was like nothing you’ve ever faced, and with that came your inevitable failure.

You were the last of your squad to survive. Everyone else had been rendered by claws from those strange and terrible monsters. Some were torn into pieces, others devoured by their sharp, nightmarish maws.

It was horrifying, and in a moment where you should’ve stood your ground and fought… you abandoned your team.

Clutching a large gash across your bicep and cringing at the pain across your thigh, you managed to find an abandoned apartment complex to hide in. You stumbled into the half broken down door, finding a space that shielded you from the outside.

You would find a way to get out of this shit show. All you had to do was survive.

In the moment of peace you took out your remaining gear and checked them. A broken radio, a combat knife, and a flashlight. No rations, obviously. The idea was to attack with small squads and rotate to maintain a constant flow of control over the situation.

You pulled out your gun and counted the remaining bullets. You had used up all your magazines in the fight, these were all you had left. You frowned at the total. Three bullets.

Things weren’t looking great, but that didn’t mean you should just give up.

You quietly crawled over to the nearby bed, the frame cracked and the sheets tossed to the side and covered in dust. You ripped away few large pieces and shook off as much dust and debris as you could before wrapping the dirty cloth around your injuries.

It took twice as much time securing the bandages, tying the knot on your arm with your teeth, but it was still something. Progress was good, no matter how futile it felt.

You stared at the fading light that peeked through the window blinds. Night was falling and you had no idea if that would have an effect on those monsters you fought. Demons were the kind of topics you read about in books and myths, but in a practical situation you knew next to nothing about those things.

_Well, you’ve done all you could for now._

You huddled closer to the wall, a sense of disparity and hopelessness plaguing your mind as you closed your eyes. Your thoughts drifted towards the possibility of tomorrow. Even if you did survive this night, then what would do you from there? Wander through the infested city, right back into the arms of the enemy? Or just wait here and starve to death?

Exhaustion took you to darkness.

****

You awoke to the sounds of scuffle. Loud bangs, furniture clattering and… footsteps.

You sat up in an instant.

Human. It had to be. The hard, muffled thuds against semi carpeted floors and old wood made you believe it to be. Your heart began to race. Though, you weren’t sure if it was from excitement or fear.

Your squad had failed spectacularly. What kind of reinforcements would be strong enough to penetrate through the demons’ line? From your experience, that wasn’t likely the case.

_A potential enemy then._

You reached for your gun and raised it. To your annoyance, your hands shook uncontrollably, throwing your aim off as you waited for movement to pass through the entrance of your hiding spot.

You tried to soothe your nerves, but nothing was working. In the moment of panic you felt tears begin to form. Shit. Shit! You tried to hold yourself together but you fell apart quicker than you could steel yourself.

A flash of movement at the door and you let out an instinctual scream.

Before you could fire, a figure stood before you in a blur of movement. Unnaturally quick, they swatted your gun to the side and held your wrist. Their other hand went over your mouth, muffling whatever cry of fear that tried to escape out of your system.

“Hush, now,” a soothing voice said, “You wouldn’t want them to find us, would you?”

The figure sat up slightly to look over their shoulder and you blinked away the tears that clouded your vision.

The figure who was pinning you down was a slender, dark-haired man. You stared at the ink on his skin, complex sets of whirls and patterns danced across his body. You almost felt entranced by them but your staring was interrupted by the man leaning _very_ close.

His torso pressed into you as his hand moved from your mouth to brace the wall. This mysterious figure had a sense of confidence and caution to him that made you feel secure, despite his lean body being a futile gesture to shield you from any potential attack.

Still, the thought was appreciated.

You couldn’t help but catch a whiff of the scent that lingered on his collarbone and you blushed. You couldn’t quite place it. Old books? Wild flowers? It was something elegant and dignified.

Your blush deepened. There was a time and place for everything, and the shame of what you were doing had hit you like a punch in the gut.

_But at least it was good to forget about the life and death situation for a second._

The two of you stayed like this for a moment. You began to doubt the point of all this, but when you were about to say something to protest there was a noise. The man pressed tighter to you as your heart raced.

Hard thuds. Quiet, but all in quick succession. Something with many legs from what you gathered. The sound approached, getting louder with each passing moment. As the creature approached by the open door you could hear the faint chittering of jaws and a low hiss escape its deformed mouth.

The monster’s head swivelled, left to right, a twisted pendulum. You hoped for it to stop, to leave them and spare your life.

But the world was cruel, and a guttural growl rolled out of the demon’s throat as its intent honed on your position.

The man tsked, annoyed, and almost unphased by the detection.

“Shadow,” the man commanded just as the demon rushed towards the two of you.

Another scream dared to leave your lips but his hand returned to your mouth. The monster leaped and your eyes widened in horror.

In a split second, your vision slowed. In a moment between life and death you saw the mesmerizing markings etched onto the mysterious man’s skin beginning to flake off. The black specks seem to be carried by some invisible wind, gathering more quickly, forming into a thick smoke cloud until…

… a panther leaped towards the demon.

The jet black animal tore into the enemy’s thick, armoured skin. The room sprayed with dark ichor, blood that smoked as it splashed against the floors and walls. The panther then rolled, its form morphing into a spiked wheel that ripped into the demon.

The man stood up and strode over the demon, incapaciated by the flurry of blows, and rammed his cane through its head.

The monster fell apart in hard chunks, like stone that had shattered.

_“Well, V, looks like the cat’s out of the bag now. Literally.”_

The man… V, his tattoos fell away and a gigantic blue raven of sorts appeared beside him. You gasped at the sight. Not once in your life had you seen anything like this.

You huddled, arms folding around yourself to make up for notable loss in heat from the man pressing into you for quite some time. You stared at V as he pulled the cane out and couldn’t help but think how strange their attire was. It was like a thrown together mix of street punk leather and regality, though he sold the latter impression with his posture.

V turned his attention back to you, giving you a small half-smile of sorts.

“I hoped to let the encounter pass but I’m afraid I’ve made things seem a bit more complicated,” he said. Though he spoke calmly, his words and actions provoked urgency. He stood up, pulling you up with him.

“Quickly now, we must get out of here before they catch up to us. They would’ve heard that just now,” V said.

You took two steps and immediately stumbled. Pain flared up in your leg and you winced. Had it infected overnight? You tried to force the pain down but any weight on that leg stung badly.

You cursed under your breath as V followed your eyes. He noticed the badly bandaged wound and frowned.

“Window it is. Shadow.”

The panther leaped out again, this time striking against a wall. Wood and debris burst and scattered across the room. V then led you towards the opening, the faint breeze from the outside brushing in.

“I can’t climb down!” you protested, “My leg’s too bad…”

You clench your teeth. You wanted to live, but the guilt of abandoning your squadmates suddenly plagued you. Considering the factors, your chances of survival were near zero. Whoever this man was and his… abilities, he saved you, but if he were to go where you couldn’t follow...

“Leave me. You can escape on your own. I’ll just slow you down,” you said. It was an act of bravery, some small way to make up for your earlier cowardice. The truth was you were terrified. You were forcing yourself to come to terms with the situation at hand.

V stared at you for a moment, gauging your intentions. He smirked.

 _Was that a thanks?_ It felt almost like you had said a funny joke to him.

Several thuds approached the doorway to the room, you and V snapping your attention to the noise for a brief moment.

Suddenly, his arm swept around your waist as your pulled into him again. He was surprisingly strong.

“So innocent…” V muttered.

With no time for protest, V stepped out of the opening with no hesitation.

Hisses and screeching got too close for comfort as you fell. You and V plummeted towards the ground, wind slicing painfully against your exposed skin. You clutched tightly to his black coat, eyes squinted shut as you waited for impact.

There was a sudden jolt mid-air and your decent slowed.

 _“Hrngh! Such high maintenance! I can barely carry you, but two? Come on!”_ a voice cried out.

Cautiously, you opened one eye and saw the brilliant blue wings of the strange bird outstretched. V held onto the bird’s talons as the creature lowered you to the ground. The descent was still fast however, your combined weights being an obvious strain to the bird.

V angled his body in a way that he would land first and the two of you tumbled onto the hard concrete floor. Stumbling to your feet you made sure that the man was okay from the landing. There was no scratches or anything of the sort left on his exposed arms. Though, he used his cane to help himself get off the ground.

There was a moment of awe and relief that you wanted to revel in. You were surviving a near impossible situation, but you knew you weren’t safe yet.

From the ground, the familiar panther appeared and pressed its side towards you.

“Climb on,” V said, helping you up. “I’ll get you somewhere safe.”

You clutched onto the animal, though its skin was too smooth and sleek for your fingers to have any purchase. However, as if it understood your thoughts, its body morphed and created some faint hand holds for you. Taken aback slightly, you grasped them.

The panther suddenly took off at full sprint, V running alongside it. He was incredibly fast, his movement a blur to you.

_Who the hell is this man?_

You closed your eyes, head pressed against the back of this beast and holding on for dear life. As strange and bizarre this situation was… you were saved.


	2. New Company

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wasn’t happy with the first version I wrote so I revised this chapter.

You hoped that all this was just some strange anxiety dream you had the night before the assignment. Fighting demons, being saved at the last second, leaping out of a window? Too outrageous for it to be real. You were just nervous about the task...

Your eyes opened to an unfamiliar space. The faint scent of smoke and metal hung in the air of the warm lit and cozy interior.

You almost groaned. This _was_ real.

“We can’t just take ‘er back outside the city. We’re too deep in already and I ain’t turnin’ this van ‘round just for a quick delivery,” a woman’s voice said, a distinctive twang to her accent that you couldn’t quite place.

“Well… Kyrie is the only person I know that could help her. We don’t have the medical supplies this cop needs for her wounds,” a man replied, a hoarse voice, blunt and sharp at the same time.

"Well hoo-wee look at you with your demonic immune system. I can't believe none of ya tasted real, gut churnin' sickness once."

"Lady is a human."

"Well she be fightin' demons all day that'll sure as hell strengthen her up dontcha think?"

You tried to look towards the source of the voices but something else caught your eyes. The mysterious man, V, leaned against the wall nearby. He was reading a thin book with the letter ‘V’ printed on the cover.

His eyes met yours and he slowly pushed off the wall, tucking the book away as he did so.

The voices stopped bickering when V reached over and placed his cool hand on your forehead. It was like heaven. You didn’t realise how uncomfortable hot you were until his pale fingered touched your skin.

That wasn’t a good sign. You had a fever to combat an infection.

“I might know of a few pharmacies in the area,” V said, looking over to his side, “Perhaps we could take a quick detour?”

“You from around ‘ere?”

“...Somewhat.”

“I mean, that’s up to you. But you were the one bein’ all pushy on getting to Urizen ASAP,” the woman said.

Another man stepped into your vision. White hair, blue coat, a scowl that seemed permanent on his face. He sighed as he knelt down alongside V.

“This van is getting cramped enough already, and we’re going to save Lady and Trish on top of all this,” he shook his head.

“We’ll have to take her along with us. That would be the safer option for this woman, do you agree, Nero?” V asked.

“Pfft, seriously?”

“We would be handing her back in the arms of unarmed civilians, compared to well… that,” V pointed towards something in the back of the van you couldn’t see.

Nero stood up and stretched his neck to the side. As he turned to walk away he picked up something just in your view. It wasn’t like any weapon you’ve seen. A large blade with some contraption around the crossguard. You instinctually wanted to sit up and get a better look but the world spun too much.

“Whatever, but I ain’t babysitting her. That pharmacy run is all on you,” Nero said, “I’ve got more important things to do.”

The van’s door opened and closed, some of the small trinkets around the room wobbled.

A new person approached. A woman in a mustard crop top and denim jeans. You noticed the splatter of colourful tattoos that covered her body as she knelt down to greet you.

“Looks like we’ll be travellin’ together then. The name’s Nico,” she said, smiling. “You got a name I can call you?”

You took in a slow breath, “I’m (Y/N).”

“Well, (Y/N). You need anything hun?”

_Medication, a warm bath, clean clothes, a nice hearty meal..._

“I’m fine, thank you,” you said, not wanting to overstep the hospitality.

Nico gave a polite nod then wandered off somewhere deeper into the van.

“Yer hear that, V? That’s called manners. Ya’ll need to learn some respect ‘round here in my van.”

V ignored her and shuffled back in front of you now, examining you carefully.

“I overheard a bit of the conversation,” you said, “I need something to disinfect the wound and properly dress it. Antibiotics for the infection. Anti-inflammatory for my fever.”

A slight blank stare was your reply. You let out a chuckle, partially in disbelief.

“So it's true? Whatever you are… you’ve never been sick before?” you asked.

You swear he almost looked embarrassed. Ashamed. He pressed his lips together and his eyes drifted off to the side, deep in thought. V seemed to dig through his mind to try and put memory to the medication you listed.

Some feathers ruffled in the darkness of the van and you recognised the bird.

_“Jeez, V. You gotta learn from this gal. You could take some pointers since you’re as frail as a fricken glass door.”_

You sat up, ignoring the throbbing in your head. You were disgustingly sweaty. Your day old clothes stuck to your skin and there was dust and dirt stains on your sleeves, fingernails, and hair. But those issues could easily be solved later.

“I should go with you then. Pick out the things I need,” you said.

 _“No offence, toots, but you look pretty bad. Can you make the trip?”_ the bird said.

It was slightly bizarre to have a conversation with a talking demon bird. You’d love to learn more about it, but first things first.

You shrugged, “I’ll be honest. Last night was the worst situation I’ve ever been in so far in my life. If I survived that then I can handle a simple shopping trip.”

You glanced over at V, prompting him for his opinion. He raised a brow.

“I can let you ride Shadow again, but if we’re going to run into any enemies along the way…” he trailed off.

“I’ve seen what that panther can do,” you smiled, though there was a slight frown to your expression you couldn’t help from the pain, “Just… gently roll me off its back before the fight, I guess.”

You couldn’t just stay lying down and helpless the entire time. You were going to get through this and you were going to pull your weight.

V took a step back to give you space, but as you walked towards the door your leg gave way. V grabbed your arm from behind and held you up.

“Carefully now,” V muttered as he threw your arm over his shoulders. He was slightly taller than you and he had to crouch slightly as you shuffled out of the van.

****

It was about midday, the sun shining through the city that was broken. The ground was cracked, lifted and sunken in different places. Most of the buildings were collapsed though you were surprised to see that some of the bigger structures had somehow survived for now.

You were riding the black, slender creature again, walking alongside V who looked like he struggled to walk too. It was odd to you. You swear he could run full sprint like an athlete before.

The bird creature, you learned named Griffon, flew and scouted ahead. He would often circle and report back before going out again. From what information he got, the first few locations he found were unfortunately rubble and ruin.

A small nugget of worry begin to grow as you glanced up at V. He was looking more and more impatient at the situation. From the conversation in the van, you could tell he had more pressing matters.

You felt a bit guilty.

“Thank you,” you said, "for... how did you find me?"

 _"I should be the one you need to thank,"_ Griffon as he flew around. _"I was the one that found you. Spotted you through the window."_

"I thought you just happened to swing by and ran into me," you said, surprised. "I..."

"It was no worry," V hummed. "Saving lives shouldn't just be a passing convenience. As much as I understand the panic and indecision that comes chaos, I don’t find myself relating to something I don’t experience often.”

You raised an eyebrow. How many demonic invasions has this man gone through to say something like that? In such a suave way too. Whoever this man was, it was nice to see that sort of confidence when you’re so lost about the whole situation.

"Once I get patched up then I promise to get out of your way. You and the people in that van… you're trying to get rid of that demon tree, right?"

"The Qliphoth tree? Indeed. There-,” he said, raising his cane towards the spiralling demonic mass in the distance, “-sits a demon with a never ending thirst for power. And I find it upon myself to eradicate the threat he possesses on the city and the world.”

You gave a genuine but confused smile, "That's good? I- Sorry, I’m unfamiliar with those names, though I'm glad this situation isn't entirely hopeless. Military-grade equipment could barely put a dent in-"

You trailed off as something caught your eye. Up on a ledge were some strange looking growths, but on closer inspection it was something more than that.

People. It was people frozen mid terror, turning into porous husks. Dust seemed to constantly fall from them and drift towards the Qliphoth.

"What… happened to them?" you gasped, unable to look away.

"Their blood has been harvested," V said, "I wasn’t lying about Urizen’s thirst for power... and the unfortunate and inhumane price he’s willing to pay."

Your guilt expanded into a crushing weight. These people were on a mission to save the city- hell, the world, and you’re taking up their time to patch up your shitty leg?

You looked at V to ask him a question on the next potential pharmacy but found him already staring at you. It was as if he was trying to read you like the book that was in his hands before. It felt peculiar, a simple glare felt like he was unravelling you. He could sense your guilt probably, the thoughts in your head blaming you for delaying the world being saved.

You sighed, running your fingers along the strange fur of Shadow.

“I shouldn’t be taking up your time. The longer that damn tree is in the sky then…”

You trailed off, stopping mid sentence. A slight chill of fear crossed your minds. What would be the solution then? Just to leave you behind to die while you let him get on with saving the city?

V seemed to catch on to the gist of what you were saying and stopped in his tracks. He strode up beside you and knelt, his hand still on his cane for support.

“I won’t leave you behind,” V said. “It… it’s unfair that people get culled out of necessity. Your life should be just as important as mine, so you have nothing to fear. It is as you say, once you are safe then I can simply continue on my way.”

He flashed another half smile, an expression he does often. It always seemed like he was amused or fascinated by something. It was kind of charming actually.

_“Though V-“_

Griffon flew over head and hovered nearby.

_“If the gal is offering to be left behind though…”_

“Hey!” you gasped, feeling like the rug got yanked right below your feet, “What kind of asshole are you?”

_“You’re not in any position to make insults, toots.”_

You rolled your eyes and caught the corner of V’s mouth tug, like he was holding in a small laugh. Griffon took off, not giving you a chance to quip back. You started moving again, V walking alongside you riding the panther.

_Huh. You initially thought the demons were spawned from him. Then why was the bird’s personality so different from V? Maybe they’re separate entities._

“Are you actually a demon?” you asked V. “I’m still trying to wrap my head around all this.”

V glanced towards Griffon that flew up ahead, blue wings flapping in the distance.

“Yes and no.”

“That’s just a glorified ‘maybe’,” you said.

V chuckled and tapped his cane as he walked.

“I was a human with no humanity, or rather I was blind to my own humanity for a long time,” V replied.

“But you feel pretty human to me right now.”

A beat, V’s eyes flickering. It sounded like the obvious response, but it looked like he was pleased to hear it regardless.

“That’s good,” V said, “And I hope to keep it that way.”

“How does that happen to someone? Lose their humanity? All this demon stuff is confusing.”

V suddenly grew distant, his eyes glazing over as he stared blankly up ahead. He seemed to be recalling something. He drew in a small breath then turned to look at you. In the briefest of moments you saw a flash of several emotions melded together in his eyes. Pain. Anger. Grief.

“Through something I shouldn’t have been able to endure.”

_Shit. Maybe that question was too personal._

“I’m sorry-“

“But that’s in the past now,” V said, returning to his usual stride. “What’s done is done. The best I can do now is to make up for my mistakes.”

A silence fell between the two of you, unsure of how to continue the conversation beyond that. Fortunately, Griffon flew back and hovered in front of the two of you.

 _“Right, so, when you’re done talking in circles, I think I spotted something up ahead,”_ Griffon said. _“Place doesn’t look too trashed. Might have what you want.”_

“Then let’s-“

V was interrupted by the ground beginning to tremor violently. You gasped. Was the city going to crush you?

“Grab on tightly, (Y/N)!” V called out.

You did as instructed, holding onto Shadow as the panther leaped away.

The ground beneath you suddenly fell in, exposing the darkness below. Several of those ant-like demons emerged from the opening breaking through clouds of dust.

“Empusa... I should’ve known they would be drawn to human blood,” V said as you all found solid ground.

Instinct made you reach for your gun but your fingers only met an empty holster. You thought back to when V swatted it away when you tried to shoot him and swore, reaching for your knife as well. Surprisingly, that was missing too.

_You swore your had your knife at least._

V went over and lifted you off his panther familiar. Limping, you held onto his jacket as he wrapped his arm around your waist and pulled you in tightly.

Shadow adopted a battle stance. Griffon sparking with electricity alongside it. Cold sweat formed on your body as you watched several demons rush towards the two animals.

Battle erupted with Shadow leaping into the heart of the enemy and exploded in a heap of spikes, impaling and striking at the demons. Griffon flapped his wings and a ball of electricity swept through the field. Moments later, the electricity left a trail of explosions that flung demons into the air.

It was terrifying spectacle, one that you couldn’t take your eyes off. It wasn’t until V sat you down when you realised he had walked you over to a nearby park bench. You almost collapsed into the seat but V hoisted you down gently. He grabbed you by the shoulders and looked into your eyes.

“We ran the last time,” you said, “Why aren’t we running now?”

“Fighting in a cramped hallway is different to an open field,” V smiled as he stepped away from you.

You reached out to him as he left, your innate fear for a person’s safety prompting you to stop him.

But you should had known better. V didn’t have the same fears as you. The man strode towards the fringe of where the battle was happening, drawing the attention of several empusas.

You expected a new animal to leap out from his body. He still had one more set of tattoos on his body. To your surprise, V pulled out his book and began to read.

_“To see a world in a grain of sand…”_

A hoard of demons began to charge towards him, mandibles and claws ready to tear at him.

_“And a heaven in a wild flower…”_

One empusa leaped but Shadow was there. The panther crashed into the demon in the form of a spike wheel.

_“Hold infinity in the palm of your hand…”_

V strode towards the demon horde, narrowing dodging strikes with the help of Griffon and Shadow working together. You watched in terror as all of this went down. What the hell was he doing?

_“And eternity in an hour.”_

V calmly tucked the book away, lifted his hand, and snapped his fingers.

The last of his tattoos sifted away and lifted past his dark hair, now turning into a bright white. His body seemed to glow for a moment, light swirling around him.

There was some otherworldly power to him, one that poured out of him as his skin was now blank of any markings.

_Strange. Is this what he’s supposed to look like naturally?_

Something rumbled, but it wasn’t the ground.

You looked up just in time to see something bright fall from the sky. An obsidian meteor that struck a wave of demons just as they crawled out of the hole.

V turned his head just as the enormous golem-like creature peeled itself from the ground to slam its fist down onto a writing monster, a smile forming of his face. A gesture to reassure you, delivered with confidence as he faced the oncoming danger.

Your heart caught in your throat.

“Still afraid?” he asked, smiling.

“Yes,” you answered honestly. The source of your fears shifted to your feelings, though that wasn’t something you were ready to admit.

V was gorgeous. Coat fluttering gently in the breeze. Standing proudly, his now white hair and supernatural glow a beacon amongst the twisted and bloodthirsty creatures.

V chuckled then threw his cane towards an injured Empusa, disappearing in a flash of purple light and into the heart of battle. It was over as quickly as it started, the town square erupting in violet explosions and sparks of blue.


	3. First Steps

V ripped his cane out from the last of the demons. You briefly wondered why his animal familiars only turned the monsters pale. It was clear they were doing most of the work but it was always V who did the killing blow.

When you had someone to keep your safe, the demons didn’t seem as bad as they once were. Being with V and meeting those strange people in that van, maybe you could learn a thing or two from them sometime.

V adopted his slightly strained pose, leaning into his cane. Despite being winded, taking long and slow breaths, he didn't seemed phased at all about the fight that had just happened. It was a strange discord between how casual it all felt to how chaotic it all really was.

“Let’s move on, shall we?” he said, holding out a hand for you.

“How can you act so polite in a situation like this?” you said. You pondered for a moment, “It’s a nice distraction.”

“Well,” V said as he heaved you onto you feet, “I’m glad you enjoy my company.”

After the huge golem disappeared, V's hair returned to its usual shade of black. You noted the faint imprint of marks on his skin. While Shadow and Griffon was out, some of the marks were dulled out and barely visible. Did each creature have their own set on his skin?

You noticed V cocking his head.

“See something that piques your interest?” V asked.

A blush came to your cheeks and you tried to casually look away from him. In all the times he’s held you close this was a quiet moment where you could actually think about something besides death.

“Your skin is… cool,” you mumbled, struggling to find the right word to say.

“Cool?”

“Well, I wouldn’t mind getting a set if it protects me against those monsters.”

 _”Wowzers. Smooth. Real smooth, lady,”_ Griffon chuckled. You sneered at him as the bird scattered into black dust and reformed onto V’s skin.

“What I have is not something that could manifest within one such as yourself. But as obscure as it is to work for a place such as Devil May Cry you can’t doubt that what they do is effective with this line of work.”

You pressed your lips together.

 _Demon hunter? You?_ The possibility felt a bit surreal. Still, if you had those skills you wouldn’t be feeling like absolute crap from your injuries after fighting back.

“I’ll think about it,” you said.

Shadow approached, licking its paw after the fight, and leaned up beside you. V helped you mount the creature again before continuing towards the place Griffon spotted.

****

To your relief, at least half of this pharmacy was still standing. After a bit of investigation you and V managed to find a way to get inside. Besides the state of the building, all the shelves were stocked.

 _There wasn’t even time for people to raid for supplies,_ you thought as you browsed through the shelves. You picked out the medication you needed and found some water to take it. All that was left was to redress your wounds.

V stood guard nearby, keeping an eye out for more empusa that could attack. Though, it also felt like he was doing it to be polite. It would be awkward if he stared at your cluelessly as you fixed yourself up.

“I’m curious,” you said, peeling away your pants, “How does one get into studying demons?”

“It was more of an unavoidable thing,” V replied in the distance, “I’ve lived most of my life dealing with them.”

You winced as you worked on your leg wound. It had swollen and infection had definitely taken its place. At least you could clean and treat it properly now. Things were going to get better from here.

“How common are they then? I'm surprised I've never ran into stuff like this until now,” you said, wrapping your leg up.

A slight chuckle came from the man, “More common than you think, though, I suppose if you don't know what you are looking for then you could live your life without ever knowing."

You took off your top for your arm wound next. You didn't realize how tattered your clothes now they were off, doubting you could put them back on without them falling apart. Your top was covered in dried blood. Whether it was yours or someone else’s (or even both) you weren’t sure. Your pants were torn around the knees and it frayed badly at where it was slashed. You cringed at the thought on putting those back on again.

You dabbed a damp cloth at the injury. Not as bad as your leg, but it still needed attention. After wiping away most of the dried blood and dirt you reached down and grabbed the roll of bandage.

You struggled to tie the final knot, the end slipping from your fingers or undoing it when it was too loose. It was hard to see using your teeth and your fever still made you dizzy.

You glanced over at V, keeping watch by the entrance. Though, you noticed he was getting a bit impatient. His finger tapped on his cane as he read his book on the other hand. You suddenly felt an added pressure to finish up quicker and your fingers were clumsier as a result. The knot kept slipping from your grasp or you would tie it as the wrong spot. Frustration was growing quickly.

 _”What’s taking so long!?”_ Griffon called out to you. Those words distracted you enough to mess up the knot again and you sighed.

”Do you require any help from me?” V asked.

_Well… you were on a time crunch._

“One second!”

You reached over to your clothes and tried to put your pants on. However, it was an awful sensation. Putting on dirty clothes was like grating your skin with sticky sandpaper. It wouldn’t do you any good to do the same with your top, especially while your wound wasn’t properly bandaged.

You sighed. So much for modesty.

"Alright, I need your help bandaging,” you called out reluctantly.

A short moment later V appeared. He rounded the corner then stopped when he realised you were only in your underwear. V took a moment to gauge your reaction, and you responded indifferently. He relaxed, faintly relieved to know he didn’t just accidentally walk in on you changing.

”I’m sorry if this was an unpleasant surprise,” you sighed gesturing to your half-naked self, “But I’d rather not put those back on.”

”I wouldn’t exactly call it unpleasant,” V shrugged as he approached.

You chuckled, “Oh ha-ha. Is cracking jokes a part of being used to the chaos and all that?”

”Perhaps,” V shrugged. “So?”

You waved for V to kneel down beside you. It was a basic enough concept to tell him to wrap a bandage around your arm. It wasn’t like he was performing surgery on you. Though, it did take him two tries as his first one ended up too loose. You took that as a form of consideration. There must be different standards for strength between humans and demons. V probably had the strength to break your arm with that bandage if he wanted to.

Once that was done V stood up, helping you up to your feet as well. The two of you looked at the pile of filthy clothes on the ground and you cringed. By the looks of it you were going to walk out of this building in your underwear.

“It wouldn’t do you any good to be in the cold like that,” V said. “I could lend you my coat but...”

You stood up as well, wrapping your arms around yourself from the slight chill. You waited for V to suggest something else but instead he just stared idly. At first it looked like he was thinking up the options but it drew on for longer than you were expecting.

V ended up giving his coat up to you. He slid the black fabric off his shoulders and passed it over. The gesture caught you off guard slightly, clumsily grabbing the item of clothing off his hands.

As he said, the coat didn’t do much but to help cover the front of your body slightly. It was still cold, the sleeveless and thin material didn’t feel like much difference from being naked. The gesture, despite him suggesting against it before, was still nice though.

Together, you existed the rundown pharmacy, a bag of extra medication in your arms. V supported you on your weak leg, the collar of his coat brushing against your cheek. It smelt like him. Old books and wild flowers.

Griffon greeted you outside, perched on a bent stop sign.

 _“Oh good, we need to go now V,”_ the bird said, _“I think I see more demons heading their way here.”_

“Alright, but before we do that could you perhaps scout out something that our new friend could wear?” V asked. Griffon cocked his head to the side to take a better look at you.

_“Seriously? Ugh, what were the two of you doing in there?”_

“Nothing!” you said, embarrassed at the thought. “My clothes are too messed up to wear again, that’s all.”

 _“Right, right…”_ Griffon said, unconvinced, and took off into the air.

You face was hot with embarrassment and you pulled the coat tighter around you. Modesty was one thing, but necessity was another.

“What is with that bird?” you mumbled angrily.

“He’s certainly chatty, though I find myself ignoring his commentary most times,” V said.

A slight chill swept past you and you shivered in the thin coat. V barely shrugged or reacted to it, his torso fully exposed to the elements. The more you spent time with V the more fascinated you were with him. What kind of demonic heritage or training did he undergo to feel nearly invulnerable?

Another breeze and you felt your skin prickle. Some time had passed and there wasn’t much sunlight shining left. You idly walked out of the shade.

“Where are you going?” V asked.

“It’s cold,” you said, spinning around to look at him, “Sorry, your coat really isn’t helping much.”

V nodded, watching you carefully as you stepped into the sunlight. You felt better, rubbing your arms as you warmed yourself up.

“I can’t believe how you can’t feel the chill,” you said, “And not getting any scratches on your body after fights, or how you don’t get sick. I’m kind of jealous.”

“I consider my constitution to be lower than the average at the moment,” V said.

“Huh, then where does that put me?” you chuckled.

V hummed, examining you again as he strode up to join you in the sun.

“Humans can be more resilient than you think. Rest up, and perhaps your potential could be tested.”

“Is this about me learning how to fight demons?” you coughed. You didn’t know V long enough, but there was no way he was that disconnected from his humanity to sense the euphemism from that. You pushed away your thoughts and the emotions that came with it.

“That would certainly be the case given the situation.” V said.

You breathed out in relief. Though, the intended meaning was still confusing to you. You weren’t strong at all, especially not while you were sick.

“But I’m just-“

_Having a hard time believing you._

You had fled the last time you went up against a group of demons. It was the right thing to do, standing your ground would mean your death. But still, the guilt of acting like a coward chipped at your mind.

V seemed encouraging but you doubted yourself heavily. You didn’t trust yourself to not run away again.

“I’m sorry.”

You blinked, looking up at V.

“What for?” you asked.

“My words seemed to have upset you.”

“No… no, the fault isn’t you. It’s me,” you said. “This is all just so crazy.”

You pressed your face against the collar of the coat, shying away from V. To your surprise, cold fingers met your chin and tugged your head towards him. He stopped you from hiding and stared into your eyes. The gesture seemed natural and for that moment he held all your attention you could ever offer.

You realised you never actually got a good look at his face. V’s eyes, which you thought were just black, were actually a dark green. You wondered if those changed colour too when he summoned that large golem.

“Once we get back to the van I’m sure Nico will be done with your equipment,” V said, pulling his hand away.

Wait.

“My equipment? You guys took my stuff while I was passed out?” you said, appalled.

“The woman insisted. She said something about military-grade being a joke and took it upon herself to upgrade it,” V said. “She can be… well-“

_“Hey! Toots!”_

You and V turned to the sound of Griffon flying back. He tossed something to your feet with his talons and perched on V’s arm. It was a dressed mannequin, probably taken from a store front. It was dressed in simple clothes, a pair of jeans and a long sleeved shirt. It was a welcome combination. All you wanted was comfort for now.

_“Hope that’s good enough cus we gotta move. Chop chop!”_

“Okay! Okay!” you said, kneeling down and stripping the model. “A bit of privacy too?”

V spun on his heel with Griffon still on his arm. You took of V’s coat and put on your new clothes. Slightly oversized top but the pants fitted well thankfully. You ran your hand against your new outfit. It was nice to get a clean change of clothes. You finally felt like things weren’t so bad after all.

“Alright, done. V? Your coat,” you said, holding it out for him to grab.

A faint smile appeared as he took it off your hands and slipped it on in one smooth motion. V gestured towards the street.

“Shall we?”

You nodded, feeling the medication beginning to kick in and feeling more hopeful of your situation.


	4. Strange Recovery

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I usually struggle with starting off a long fic and I'm glad that the plot is able to start kicking in now. I might go back to the past three chapters and tweak them though.
> 
> Hope you enjoy :)

You and V managed to return to the van with no issue. You were able to walk on your own now despite still feeling quite sore. With your injures you should be out of commission for a month at least. Even so, you’re not complaining. Not during these times.

You stepped into the warm, smelly interior of the van with V trailing behind.

“Welcome back!” an enthusiastic Nico said.

You glanced to your left to see her working in some sort of small workshop. On closer inspection you recognised the object that she was working on.

“Hey!” you said, “That’s my pistol!”

“And it’s getting a lil’ bit of love from me,” Nico said, “This thing might as well punch as hard as a pillow in its old state.”

You walked over to see what Nico was doing and saw your combat knife pushed away from the main work area. Both objects seem to be glowing in some sort of strange blue energy. There was some adjustments to the grip of your weapons. They were barely recognisable from what you remembered.

“You… work with magic?” you asked. V chuckled faintly nearby.

"What? This is all new to me, V," you said to him. You could sense Nico smirking too.

“Naw, I ain’t no witch,” Nico said, “Just sometimes them demon spawn drops some interestin’ stuff once in awhile. And… done!”

Nico stepped away from your pistol looking proud of herself. She grabbed the weapon and the knife and spun around to meet you. Nico placed them in front of you. Now that you could see them clearly the upgrades were certainly... interesting. It wasn't like anything you've seen before.

“Now this lil’ thing will really kick against those demons now,” Nico explained, “And uh… you might wanna test out your knife outside.”

You raised an eyebrow, “What do you mean?”

“I’m quite proud of it myself. Here! I’ll just show ya!”

Nico crouched below the counter and stepped outside, grabbing your arm and pulling you with her. You stumbled out slightly, managing you catch yourself before you face planted onto the ground.

Nico took some sort of improvised fighting stance, your knife in her hands. She seemed to press something in the hilt and whipped it one smooth motion. Your knife’s blade broke into several sections, aligning themselves into what appeared to be a slim sword.

“It cool, ain't it?” Nico said enthusiastically. She began to wave it around in the air, getting distracted with her own creation for a moment. “Oh! Uh, here. Have a go!”

She pressed something again and the knife snapped back to it’s small, stalky shape. Nico passed it into your hands and you took the knife from her. There was a bit more weight in it, that’s for sure.

You tried to mimic what Nico did and to your awe the blade extended out once more.

_With this you actually had a chance against those demons._

“T-thank you, Nico,” you said. “To be honest with you, I didn’t expect this upgrade to even be possible.”

“You’re mighty welcome,” Nico said, smiling. “I’m following in my grandmama footsteps. I want to become a master artist just like her!”

You swung the blade idly in the air. You were trained with a combat knife for close quarters combat, but a sword was entirely different. You took the familiar stances you were taught whilst training as a police officer. As you expected, some of the moves and maneuvers you tried to replicate wouldn’t work with a longer blade.

“Well, if ya wait for a bit Nero is coming back soon. Maybe he could show you a little bit on how to swing that ‘round," Nico said.

“Here, allow me instead.”

You turned to see V approach you. Nico leaned against the van and watched as V took his place beside you. In a trained fashion, V gently nudged your feet into position and used his cane to lift your arm into place. He seemed to know what he was doing, confident with the way he adjusted you.

“When you strike,” V said, circling you, “Let the blade lead first, then your body. Your weapon will flow and guide you through battle, all you have to do is follow it through.”

V stood in front of you and lifted his cane up. You took this as a signal to strike and you did. You did a slow sweep from the side and collided with V’s cane. He parried it to the side gently, your knife sliding off the metal. You were worried about your knife falling apart from how segmented it was, but something bonded it together well. You were no engineer or mechanic but you didn't doubt Nico's capabilities from the short amount of time you've met her.

However, despite the nice blade, the moves you did with it felt awkward and clumsy. You weren’t quite getting it.

_Who even fights with swords nowadays anyway?_

V caught on to your frustration and took a place beside you. You were expecting him to reposition you again but instead he stood behind you. He was thin but his arms were able to wrap around yours comfortably.

“Hoo-ee! Who knew V was a charmer,” Nico called out.

“Don’t make this awkward, Nico!” you said, blushing. The mechanic laughed before lighting a cigarette between her fingers.

V didn’t seem to care which was a relief. He seemed more focused on teaching you properly. He firmly grabbed your wrists and guided you though one swing to the next. A basic strike consisting of two swings and then retreating back to your original stance.

“Practice these motions before you move on to more complex sequences,” V said. His voice tingled being so near your ear. “It’ll take time, but I’m sure you’ll come to understand it.”

V stepped away from you and took his place as your sparring partner again. You hardened your grip and tried again. This time, things felt much smoother now that you had a better idea of what you were doing. There was a smile of approval that came from V, and that was enough to inspire you to keep going.

You struck V’s cane as he parried your blows to the side. There was something about practicing how to fight that spurred you on. You fell into some sort of deep concentration, the movements coming almost naturally to you now. Your concentration made you think back to that night when you were battling those monsters and how weak you felt.

_Fuck those demons._

_Whack!_

_Fuck whatever the hell they’re doing to my city._

_Whack!_

_Screw them for trying to kill me!_

“Stop!”

V's voice had startled you. You immediately halted your assault, panting. Taking a step back, you realised you had advanced much further than you should, forcing V back from his initial position. The man was breathing heavily, a serious expression painted across his face.

“Crap- sorry! I didn’t mean to get carried away,” you gasped.

That shouldn’t have been possible. V, although he seemed frail, had to be stronger than you because of… whatever he was. You were just a human.

V looked slightly stunned and that analytical glare came back. He stood up straight and examined you carefully. What was he looking for now?

“The hell you guys doing?"

V stepped away from you just as a white-haired man approached the van. He carried a large looking blade over his shoulder. It must be really heavy but the man rested it on his shoulder like it was nothing.

“Oh, Nero. ‘Fraid you got replaced. Looks like V knows swordsmanship as much as you do,” Nico joked, giving him a friendly wave.

“Seriously?” Nero said, scowling, “Where did you even learn that sort of thing, V?”

“We all have our histories,” V said, shrugging. He used his cane to make his way back into the interior of the van and disappeared inside. It was obvious he was dodging the question though nobody stopped him to follow up on it.

Nero and Nico stared at each other for a moment. Nico gave a shrug.

“Sure is mysterious. You sure he can be trusted?” Nico asked, tapping her cigarette off to the side.

“I have no idea,” Nero sighed, “But he knows what he’s doing at least.”

Nero joined V in the van. You stood outside for a moment, unsure of why you were suddenly so driven to attack. You sheathed the knife and was about to enter the van when Nico stopped you. She placed her hand against your shoulder and leaned in.

“If you don’t mind me asking,” Nico said hushed, “What happened to being injured and all?”

It hit you. Just moments ago you were barely able to move. Now you were able to overpower V? How much time had passed since then, an hour? Two?

“Is this some kind of trick?” Nico asked. She pressed you away from the van in a protective gesture. “What do you want from us?”

“N-nothing!” you said, conflicted. “I… I don’t know. Must be strong meds or something.”

Nico glared, eyes narrowing. It’s the first you’ve ever seen her look so serious. You displayed your confusion clearly. You had nothing to hide, or rather, you weren’t sure what you had to hide.

“I’ve got my eye on you, and there ain’t no doubt I’m telling Nero if you’re up to somethin’,” Nico said.

The woman finally let go of your shoulder. Nico dropped her cigarette to the floor and smothered it with her foot before entering the van. From the sounds of it she returned to her cheery demeanor.

You gave yourself to take a few deep breaths and instinctively grabbed your bandaged arm. You paused, then gripped harder.

There was no pain.

_What the hell?_

You tempted to pull away the bandage and inspect it, but stopped yourself.

_No. This is just all in your head. It’s just the adrenaline. There should still be a gash there._

You dropped your hand and climbed the steps into the van.

****

“We gotta find Dante,” Nero said, arms crossed and leaning against a wall. “If he’s not dead yet.”

You kept quiet during this discussion. You had a feeling that this Dante person they were talking about was another demon hunter like them. Not that you knew anything about demon hunters and such.

“We should split into two groups then. I suppose we should make sure he has not turned into Qliphoth pollen yet,” V said.

“I’m sorry, what?”

“Qliphoth. A tree that grows in the underworld. It thrives on the blood of humans, and you’ve probably seen the victims that are left after their blood was all sucked away.”

You shivered at the sight of those victims you had passed by. That would’ve been you if V hadn’t come along.

“Well then,” Nero said, reaching over for his sword, “What are we waiting for then? If Dante’s alive, we save him. If not, we don’t-”

“Wait.”

V stopped Nero’s path with his cane outstretched.

“Before you do, we should exterminate some Qliphoth roots first.”

Nero glared at V who looked confident in his words.

“Just who are you, V?” Nero said. V simply smiled and pulled away his cane, letting Nero exit the van.

Just as Nero left V stood up as well. You caught his eyes just as he passed.

You weren’t sure what to do. Yes, you were patched up and, as promised, you were going to stay out of his way. Still, you didn’t feel too comfortable with Nico suspicions about you and frankly it looked like she felt the same.

“I want to be useful,” you said. “Let me make it up to you.”

V frowned, “It’ll be dangerous. It would be better if you remain here. You've been a lot, (Y/N). You should rest.”

“What? And let my masterpieces go to waste?”

Nico stepped forward, looking between the two of you.

“She’s well equipped, I assure you,” Nico said. “Why not show ‘er the ropes, and then once that’s done ‘yall got a squad of three. And ain’t that more efficient.”

 _“Look, lady,”_ Griffon appeared from V’s tattoos and perched himself on top of the record player, _“As much as the help is appreciated, I don’t think adding glowing parts to a gun is gonna help an ordinary human fight-”_

“Shut it, ya chicken! Wouldn't want me to cook ya!” Nico snapped. Griffon flinched back into the corner, watching the woman carefully as she reverted her attention back to you.

“I ain’t gonna lie, things are looking dire. I ain’t doubting Nero’s skills course but… well, it’d be nice to get all the help we could get.”

_Even though I don’t trust you._

You caught on that much with the way she was looking at you. That was understandable. Maybe if you did go out and helped V you could figure out why you healed so quickly.

“... Very well.”

_“Wait. You’re serious, V?”_

V opened the door to the van and stepped out.

“Come along, (Y/N), “ V said, “We can start with the smaller roots at least.”

 _“Ugh, I can’t believe this. I didn't sign up for babysitting duty,”_ Griffon grunted as he disappeared in a trail of black dust and vanished into V.

You went to join V but stopped right at the door. You looked back to Nico who was still watching you carefully.

“Thank you for the upgrades,” you said hesitantly, “I don’t know what’s happening… but I’ll prove to you that I want what’s best for the city.”

Nico didn’t respond but it did seem like she took your words to heart. That was a good start at least. If you were going to travel with these people and rely on them to keep you safe you should try to keep a good relationship with them at least.

You hopped off the vehicle and ran to catch up with V.


	5. Cursed

It was a relief to avoid Nico for the moment. She seemed keen on figuring you out when there was nothing to unravel about you. You were just trying to survive this crazy situation at first. But now, you were travelling with V towards a strange cluster of bulbous red growths that covered some sort of thick vine.

It was nice acting a little braver, feeling less afraid to fight back against the demons.

The two of you navigated through the back alleys of the city, passing large brick warehouses and factories. There were small pockets within the city that were relatively untouched compared to the rubble and ruin you've mostly experienced so far. It felt like a completely different city considering the destruction and the demon tree happened within the span of a few days.

There was a small, pulsing red vine that snaked along a wall. The walk had gotten long and you felt yourself wandering. You stopped and began to stare at the source of the destruction, pulsing the blood of its victims through the dark, fleshy bark.

“Each of these roots has a source we must destroy,” V said, walking slightly ahead. “We can often follow them to a large cluster of… (Y/N)?”

“Mmm?” you asked absently.

He realised you had stopped walking and eyed you curiously. You were listening to V but… your mind was feeling a bit foggy. There was something about these roots that drew your attention somehow. You mindlessly focused onto them again, trying to listen out for something you weren’t aware of.

“Are you alright?” V said, stepping closer to you. He placed another hand on your forehead, reclaiming your attention. “Well, at least you’re not as warm as before.”

“Yeah…” you said, gently moving V’s hand. As much as you enjoyed the handsome stranger being close to you the gesture still felt awkward. You barely knew the man.

“What was it about the roots again?”

 _“I think I’m still right, V,”_ Griffon said, hovering nearby, _“This was a bad idea. Bad, bad idea. She ain’t ready for this sort of thing.”_

You shook yourself out of it, “I’ll be fine. Just… let’s get this over with.”

V gave you an unconvinced nod. He seemed concerned but didn’t seem keen on pressing you further.

As you continued deeper into the city you were drawn by the roots again. The roots were ugly and knowing what they carried made them seem worse. Still, there was something about them that drew you to them like some strange morbid fascination.

Something whined in your ears, your nose wrinkling at the sensation of _something._

You winced as it kept getting louder and louder. V turned around.

“(Y/N)?”

There was a loud crash nearby as a fence was thrown across the concrete floor. A few seconds later, several empusas appeared, teeth chattering and claws outstretched.

 _“Oh jeez, not these guys again,”_ Griffon remarked as he circled back closer to V and perched on his arm.

You tensed up and pulled out your gun, your heart pounding at the anticipation.

_“Listen, there ain’t nothing with running if you’re not up for it, V. Even though you’ve got Miss Pistol over there shaking like a leaf.”_

You looked at your hands. The bird was right. You were shaking slightly. You grunted and firmed up your grip, holding up your newly upgraded gun.

V pulled out his book again, turning to a page with precision.

_“He who desires but acts not, breeds pestilence.”_

V shut the book, smiling.

“... So it is written.”

Griffon let out a huff, _“Listen, Shakespeare. You and I like to exist, and I can probably say that for toots over there too.”_

You nervously looked at the two of them. Despite the situation, neither of them look bothered at the danger right in front of them. You gave a look of confusion to V who met your eyes. You were met with pure confidence, or was that more along the lines of pure idiocy?

“Then let’s eradicate them quickly, shall we?” V said to you with a smirk.

 _“That was what I was gonna say!”_ Griffon said as he took off towards the demons.

With a flap of his wings several bolts of lightning shot out and struck a few nearby empusas. They charged at you now, angrily hissing and ready to cut you down.

Things had changed though. You weren’t so defenceless this time.

You lined up your gun and fired it without much thought.

A flash of bright blue light shot out from your gun and pierced through the empusa’s hard skin. Blood splattered across the ground and you were taken aback. You were expecting some sort of strong kickback from how powerful the bullet seemed. To your delight, there was barely any.

_Holy shit! Nico wasn’t kidding!_

You took another shot, taking a step back just as Shadow leapt forward and kept the demons from reaching you. You grew into the habit of counting your bullets. You counted to the third bullet and went to reload. However, your habit failed you as you tried to eject the should be empty magazine.

Nico had removed that.

Convenient.

You continued to fire carefully into the enemy, trying not to hit Griffon and Shadow who navigated the battlefield with flurries of attacks. V watched the battle attentively, and when a demon turned into a pale, husk-like shade he threw his cane towards them. V vanished in a puff of purple light and reappeared where his cane had landed, ripping it from the demon’s skull.

You weren’t an idiot. As nice as it was to have that knife-sword of yours, one blow from demons and you were as good as dead. You made sure to stay out of the fray, trying to not draw attention to yourself as you contributed to the fight.

The fight went smoothly, the demons dropping and vanishing into nothing as they died. Shadow was always positioned near you which gave you some good breathing room to aim.

“You’re my favourite demon so far,” you said as you took another shot. The panther seemed pleased, then turned into a ball of spikes that impaled several empusas in the area.

 _“What? We’re playing favourites now?”_ Griffon shouted amongst the battle.

“Maybe if you dropped the commentary then you wouldn’t be in last place,” you said.

_“Oh, come on! Who’s the one who found those clothes for you, huh? Me! It was-“_

The whining in your ears suddenly got piercingly loud. You lowered your aim to cover your ears. A sharp pain forced its way into your skull. The heavy scent of blood in the air. Your vision began to blur. Everything hurt.

“(Y/N)! What’s wrong?” V cried out.

A loud crash came from nearby and something towering cast an ominous shadow over the group.

_“Holy cow, that’s huge! Is that-“_

“The Queen, but-“

V grunted as Griffon dived to his side and pulled him out of the way of an attack. The enormous empusa slammed its claws into the ground, digging out chunks of concrete.

V tsked then clicked in the air.

“Nightmare! To me!”

The last of his tattoos sifted away again and his third demon familiar appeared just as the queen struck.

The two monsters locked arms, wrestling and trying to overpower one another. V hopped onto his familiar’s back and controlled it’s movements. Anticipating jabs and shifting its weight at the right moments.

 _“Get it together!”_ Griffon called out to you but the sensation was too overwhelming.

You fell to the ground, unsure of what was happening to you. The high pitch was rattling your brain. It was hard to think.

Shadow looked conflicted for a moment then left your side, going to help its master. It rolled into the empusa, temporarily staggering the huge demon. V commanded Nightmare to take a wide swing across the queen’s face, a splattering of blood exploding from the blow.

The queen fell to the side, but as Nightmare was about to go for another blow the queen brought up its hind legs and dug them into the familiar’s legs.

Nightmare staggered, and V went with it.

V’s cane fell loose out of Nightmare’s back and the empusa queen took the opportunity to strike at the man. Griffon immediately dived towards him but didn’t get there in time. The demon’s claw struck across his torso and V was thrown across the ground.

The thin man bounced off the wall with a hard thud, the sounds of cracking stone. V grunted, curling up from the pain.

 _“V!”_ Griffon cried out. V struggled to get up, even with the help of his cane.

The queen began to rush towards V but Nightmare, legs broken, still managed to land one final blow. Its fist connected with the empusa’s abdomen and a horrible shriek escaped its twisted mouth.

It turned pale.

_“V, get up! Finish it off!”_

There wasn’t a response. You felt a chill as you watched the queen empusa in its stunned state. It would break out of it soon.

From the ground you tried to aim your gun, but the gesture made the whine louder. Your hand struggled to take aim, your vision blurring.

_Why was it so damned hard to shoot this thing!?_

You ignored the agonising pain in your head and pushed down the desire to put away the gun. Your nose began to trickle with blood, the queen turning into a pale blur in your vision.

You did what you could to position your gun then you squinted your eyes in pain and prepared to fire.

“Get down!” you shouted as you took a shot. It sounded like that bullet connected with the wall.

_“What the hell are you doing? Are you crazy?”_

You ignored Griffon’s protest as you took another shot. This time, the bullet hit something metallic. You were off.

_Fuck! You had to look._

You opened your eyes again, enduring the pain once more. You looked at the empusa queen’s hollow eyes, the whine in your head almost took some form. For a second you could hear it.

It was the sound of betrayal, and you didn’t know how you were able to understand that.

You fired, the bullet piercing straight through the chest of the demon. It collapsed on itself, its eyes still intent on you. The look burned into you mind and you felt like you had committed a crime. The empusa queen died, evaporating into a mix of bloody dust.

You took a deep breath, trying to soothe the pains in your mind.

It eventually began to dull, relief coming to your head-

No. No there was still a faint whine.

You looked up just in time to see a stray empusa, small and unremarkable, attempt to ambush you. You glanced over at Griffon and Shadow. They were too far away. You caught V’s expression as he finally regained his footing, fear in his eyes.

The empusa approached you and pinned you down, hissing loudly. Its twisted insect body towered over you as its malformed, eerily human face stared down at you.

The whine in your head grew into some sort of strange pulsing. No. It was like two whines at once.

You had to be dead. You knew how these things attacked. You anticipated a claw, watching the monster intently. But the empusa just... starred. Watching you closely and cocking its head to the side, curiously. It didn’t attack, only watched.

At that moment, Shadow barrelled with immense power, knocking the monster to the side. It was followed up by Griffon raining lightning upon it. V was there, tossing his cane the moment the demon turned pale.

The empusa crumbled and you watched it go. The whining in your head stopped.

“(Y/N)!” V said, running to your side.

You stayed on the ground, trying to process what had just happened. The headache and high pitched whining was gone now but you were left with something else. It was a strange, hollow sensation. It exhausted you, plaguing you with an emotion you couldn't pick out at the moment. You idly touched the blood that had run down your nose and you tried to wipe it away from your sleeve.

 _“You were dead. Dead! Why didn’t that ugly son-of-a-bitch tear you apart?”_ Griffon said as V carefully sat you up.

“I… I don’t know,” you said, rubbing your temple. “My head just started hurting when I got close to them.”

V held you in his arms as he examined you carefully. He was gentle, making sure you were comfortable as you tried to search your mind for an answer. You looked at him, confused and frightened. You were afraid of what was happening to you.

“I keep getting a strange feeling around those roots, V,” you began. It wasn’t a good sign, not after everything you had went through. “I just get the feeling that I…”

You took in a deep breath, hesitant of your words.

“That I understand them somehow,” you said, “The large one… the queen. It felt… betrayed? I- I don’t know...”

V glanced over to Griffon, serious. Without permission, V rolled up your sleeve onto where your bandage was. He undid the knot that he tied not so long ago to inspect the wound.

_“Oh. That’s not good.”_

“What’s not good?” you asked as you glanced over.

You gasped. Where the cut had been on your arm was fully healed… and replaced with something other than skin. It looked smooth, shiny even. White scales covered a portion of your arm.

You felt like a stranger in your own skin, a shiver crippled you as you immediately huddled into V out of fear.

“What’s happening to me?” you gasped, seeking comfort in V’s arms.

It was a move out of desperation. You didn't know the man very well but you didn't have anything else to lean on. V pulled down your sleeve. He seemed to understand your fears, while being cautious of you at the same time.

V clenched his jaw, a deep furrowed expression overtaking his usual laid-back demeanour.

“You’re turning into a worker for the Qliphoth,” V said, grimly. “You’re turning into a demon.”


	6. A New Purpose

V held you for quite some time as you tried to accept your situation. You felt paralysed at the core, unsure of how to get through something like this.

_Turning into a demon? You?_

You refused to become something like those… things. Mutated and bloodthirsty beyond redemption.

You took in a deep breath.

“Well, I guess that explains why I healed so quickly,” you said, slowly.

It was hard finding optimism in a situation like this, but damned if you were going to act hopeless again. You were travelling with a group of demon hunters. They should know a way to fix this, right?

You smile wearily. You were shaking in V’s arms, skin crawling with chills and sweat. You panicked on the inside and the air felt like it choked you.

Shadow appeared from V’s body and nuzzled up to you, the big heavy creature more intimidating now you met it at eye level. You idly reached out to stroke it and your hand was licked by its huge tongue.

“We should return to Nico,” V said. “I heard she’s proficient at analysing demonic topics.”

 _“More like give her biased opinion,”_ Griffon said, perched on a street sign. _“Look, lady, I don’t know how to tell you this but-“_

V swung his cane hard against the sign, making the metal rattle hard and shaking Griffon.

“Let’s worry about that _after_ we hear what insight she brings to the table,” V said.

V nudged you to stand and helped you up. Your legs shook but V (with the support of his cane) didn’t let you fall. Together, you began the walk back. You looked up along the exterior walls of the building, pulsing and infested with Qliphoth roots.

“But the roots-“

V’s expression fell, his eyes stared idly forward as he mindless continued forward.

“I won’t cull you out of necessity, (Y/N),” V said. “I will prove to you that I am worthy of forgiveness."

You knew that look. It was the kind of thing you would see in a person who had to live with their past mistakes weighing them down. You’d been through something similar. You couldn’t save everyone, not even when they were right next to you. Though, what V had felt more severe, more tragic.

"If it helps, you've already helped me more than I should've gotten," you said. "In a situation like… this, you can't rely on anyone to come and save you."

V looked distant still. You leaned forward to meet his dark eyes.

"But you did."

There was a darkness in V you didn't understand yet. It was a mystery for sure, one that he probably won’t unravel to a stranger like you. Despite that, he smiled.

"And I plan to see this through," V said, "I plan to stay true to my word."

You returned a half-grin. You were feeling hopeless at the moment but you still put in the effort to show how grateful you were. It was comforting with how certain his words seemed. 

You stepped away from his arms, no longer requiring the support. It was also because he had begun to shake and you begun to feel bad for him. V really was frail but that didn't stop him from trying. You limped on your leg, though you could feel most of that pain muted as well.

****

Nico's van was easy enough to find. She hadn't taken the call to relocate anywhere yet and you caught her sleeping at the wheel. At first you were afraid on how you would speak to Nico again, but now you felt like you had a valid reason for her to not suspect you anymore. You were just a victim wrapped up in this entire mess.

She jumped up as the van's door opened.

"Hey! We're closed- oh!" Nico eyed the two of you as you stepped in.

There was no point beating around the bush so you lifted your sleeve and showed her the demonic scar. Nico straightened her glasses at the malformed skin. The way she analysed it made you anxious. Showing it to her made you realise how much you didn't want to acknowledge it.

You tugged your sleeve down harshly and found a seat by the couch.

"Would you know anything about that?" you asked Nico. "I hear high pitched whining in my ears when I'm near the Qliphoth roots and empusa's too."

It wasn't hard to see how upset you were. Or rather disturbed. Now that you knew it was there you could feel the tight flesh pulling against your own.

Nico glanced over at V who seemed just as worried.

The mechanic took a spot next to you to politely nudge your arm. You nodded and Nico took a closer look at the skin. You turned your head away. It was hard enough to know about that skin being there.

"Well I'll be honest, I'm fascinated. Never heard of a case like yours before," Nico sighed "It's just a hypothesis, but it ain’t pretty.”

“There must be start to everything,” V said, finger tapping on his cane.

Nico stood up and walked over to her worktable. She dug through a pile of something you couldn't see from where you were sitting. A few moments later she found something and began to flip through a stained notebook.

"Empusa have to come from somewhere… but you notice how those blood sucking demons look just a lil' human? I think that they're either formed from the blood they collect which explains the mish-mash of faces… or they're made from the humans they take back with them by fusing them together, which also explains the mish-mash."

 _"So… what? She's like, half an empusa then?"_ Griffon said, taking his usual place on top of the record player.

"More like a third," Nico said. "When you escape them demons the first time, where there any… green flying suckers flying 'round too?"

You thought back to the fight you endured, surrounded by other police trying to keep the peace. There had been many demons, even spiked arms that tore through the ground and impaled the others. You frowned.

"I think there were. Though I'm not sure what that means."

The mechanic lit and cigarette and blew a puff of smoke in the air.

"Then you're luckier than you think. That green stuff heals demons, but to anyone else it's venom. Some of that residue must've been in that claw when it cut you. You got a low enough dosage to not kill you… but there was enough in your system for…"

"This," you said, grimly. You grabbed your arm and squeezed. The hard skin felt so obvious now.

"I'm sorry, hun. But that's all I got. I assume you want a cure," Nico shrugged, "I ain't got one."

You took in a long, deep breath. Some irrational anger began to bubble in your mind. You clench your fists, fighting the urge to strike something.

_How dare these demon hunters not know a damn thing about them. How dare-!_

Then you stopped, gasping.

You looked around the van. Nico and Griffon stared at you, seemingly on edge. V had his hand on his cane defensively.

You looked over to where you were grabbing your arm. Your fingers had pierced through your clothes and drew blood. You barely felt it.

Frightened, you pulled your hands away. It only took a few seconds for the bleeding to stop.

_When did you get such a temper?_

You cleared your throat and stood up.

"I'll… cool off outside," you said, shamefully taking your leave.

This wasn't good. You were letting those instincts overtake yours. At least you were getting out of harm's way. You couldn't trust yourself, not while you could barely understand what you were becoming.

Shortly after you sat outside in the hard ground the van's door opened.

V wordlessly sat beside you for a moment. He pulled out his book and began to read.

_"I was angry with my friend,_

_I told my wrath, my wrath did end._

_I was angry with my foe,_

_I told it not, my wrath did grow."_

V closed the book.

"It is no secret you are displeased with your situation, but know that you are not alone," V said, his voice calming you.

He leaned forward, trying to capture a piece of your expression. But you hid yourself away, afraid that your emotions might run rampant again.

"You…" V hesitated, "You cannot let your hatred, your anger towards your state consume you. As it has consumed the demon that now sits upon that throne."

V pointed towards the Qliphoth in the distance. You scowled.

“I know that. I’m more afraid of myself than I am angry,” you said. “I don’t want to become one of those… things.”

“Then don’t shy away from the truth of the matter. This is the reality of the situation and… you need to accept it so that you can heal.”

"Well, I can't exactly ask the empusas how they undo themselves, can I?"

V paused, then glanced downwards, "No… no, you cannot. But don't lose all hope, there might be-"

"I'll be honest with you, V," you said, hanging your head, "It's hard to comfort me right now when you just got told there's no fix to this."

The two of you sat in an awkward silence and you cringed inwardly. V had been nothing but support and you felt you had brushed him aside harshly. Your aggression... you could blame it on the demonic infection but it was ultimately your actions.

"I think... there might be a way."

It took a moment for the words to process. You snapped your attention to V, startling him slightly.

"What do you mean?" you asked.

"We continue as planned,” V said, though there was a hint of reluctance to his voice.

V used his cane to point towards the tree in the sky.

"We must get to the top of the Qliphoth and I must defeat the demon that resides there. Then…" V hesitated, "If the tree returns to the underworld it could stop the demonic growth within you."

You clung onto those words because you life depended on them. You stared at the tree in the distance, scoping it out and willing to do what it took to return to the way you were.

"Then let's go," you said, eagerly. "So much for being out of the way once I got ‘better’."

You stood up and reached your hand out to help him up, swapping hands when you realised one of them was covered in dried blood.

V took your hand and he felt nearly weightless as you pulled him up. The more that you spent time with him the more you noticed he wasn't just frail. A body type was one thing but he was more than just that.

V weighed barely anything for his height. He lacked any sort of body warmth, his fingers were always cold to the touch. And his pose, he always seemed exhausted, barely able to keep himself together.

It surprised you how strong you thought he initially was when you first met him, fighting off demons and the like. But now, you saw him as vulnerable, thin man who over-exerts himself during his fight against the demons. Doubts circled you head. Can this man really 'defeat' this demon at the top of the Qliphoth?

"So how do we get to the top?" you asked.

"A few things. Weaken the roots to clear a path. After that we must find the devil sword Sparda to have a chance at defeating Urizen. Then, we can remove the tree from the mortal realm."

Some of the terminology and specifics went over head but you got the general gist of what needed to happen.

"And I've already failed the first part," you sighed, thinking back to the roots before.

V frowned, then a flicker of an idea came to him.

"You said you heard whining when you were near the vines and demons. Could you sense their presence?"

You caught on to what he was thinking.

“Are you saying you can use me to detect those Qliphoth roots?” you said, slightly appalled at first. But if you could sense the roots that would ultimately lead to a potential cure…

“It would speed up the process. We must make haste towards Urizen before he achieves his goal,” V said. He looked enthusiastic.

_This mission must mean a lot to him. Then again, the whole city is at stake._

“I’ll do it, but please, keep a close eye on me. I don’t want to-”

Shadow leapt out of V’s tattoos and stepped up to you. The beast nudged its head into your leg and you crouched down to pet it.

 _“Oh stop being such a softy,”_ Griffon said, appearing from V’s tattoo’s as well. _“You got nothing to worry about. No offence, but we can take you down, easily. No problemo.”_

You continued to pet Shadow through Griffon’s mild threat. It was a reassuring kind of threat though, it’s not like you considered this temperamental, demonic side to be a part of you.

“Thanks, but as much as I enjoy seeing you rip up those demons with lightning, I’d rather not be fried by you,” you said jokingly.

 _“Well, toots, not to judge, but I assume you wouldn’t want to be impaled by a spike either,”_ Griffon chuckled before flying into V and disappearing.

“At any rate,” V said, “I suggest we try our expedition again. If I’m being honest I’m growing a bit restless.”

You nodded, determined. It felt good to have a greater use in this disaster, even if the chances of you being cured felt like a facade. It was much better than curling up and letting yourself die.


	7. Outcasts

V watched you closely as you stepped up towards a root. There were so many that stretched across the city that it wasn’t hard to find a strand. You were sure Nico saw you leave with V and didn’t raise any objections. She was smart. She probably knew what the two of you were about to do.

The whining returned to your head but this time you didn’t try to force it away. You tuned into it, listening for anything.

The sensation was unpleasant. You began hearing a faint heartbeat and the flow of blood that pulsed through the root. Though, the high pitched tone sang another thing for you.

You turned your head towards where the whining was strongest and the meaning came to you. Your vision tunneled, the edges blurring and you swear you saw something glow bright red in the distance.

“Over there,” you said, pointing. “I think they deposit the blood over there to have it be pumped towards the tree.”

V and Griffon glanced between each other before the bird took off in a flight. You took the time to step away from the vine to give your mind some peace and quiet. The noise felt like it was pushing into your head and suffocating you. It wasn’t something you wanted to get accustomed to. You wouldn’t want to be driven insane.

“How are you feeling?” V asked, leaning against the wall.

“Like I need to vomit,” you said honestly, “It doesn’t feel good to tap into what I’ve got. But if this is what it takes to save the city and myself I’ll get around to enduring it.”

V scowled, but you waved a hand.

“I’ll be fine,” you said.

“I’d still like to check the process on your arm if that’s alright,” he said.

You pressed your lips together then lifted your arm towards V. He did the honors of running his cold fingers up to arm to push the sleeve away. You didn’t look this time either.

“Well?”

“No progress,” V said, rolling your sleeve back down, “I was worried if we used your… ability it would spread faster, but this is a good sign.”

“A sign that I can keep doing this?” you said, the pain of the headache still fresh in your mind.

“Safely, yes,” V smiled.

He stepped away just as Griffon flew back around.

 _“She was right. Found the clot and blew that son-of-a-bitch up,”_ Griffon said.

The sound of rumbling and crackling grew louder as the root you were next to began to grey and crumble in the direction of where you pointed out the source. It fell to the ground in heaps of hollow matter and was carried away by the wind. The large bird perched on V proudly, ruffling his feathers as he folded in his wings.

“That certainly speeds things up, but we should return to Nico and tell her about our findings,” V said.

He turned to walk away and you quickly caught up to him, slowing to a walk beside him. You noticed he did that often, just move onto his next plan without much notice. V seemed to be the kind of person who walked to the beat of his own drum. Though, that just made you question why he would still let you tag along with him. V did mention he didn’t want to leave you to die, but you still doubted your worth.

“Do you think Nico will still let me into her van?” you asked.

“Well, she lets me in the van,” V said.

“You’re different.”

“Different how? Arguably, I’m more dangerous than you are.”

You bit your lip. That was true.

“But then again,” V continued, “I did hire them to eliminate the demon at the top of the Qliphoth. I suppose it would be rude to reject their current client from entering.”

“It’s more… well, she suspected me for being a spy I think,” you said hesitantly, “Since I healed so quickly. She thought I was up to something. I don’t blame her for thinking that way. The last thing I want to do is step on the toes of the people helping me.”

 _“Hey! And you ain't got a problem doing that with me?”_ Griffon said.

You held back a smile, “You’re different.”

_“Ugh, come on!”_

You laughed under your breath as the bird took flight and left you again. It was a relief to experience the lighter side of things, despite everything that was happening. V shook his head, amused.

****

The van was in your sights, the vehicle parked in the middle of the cracked pavement. It was a wonder how the thing can still work after all it would take to drive it all the way here.

You weren’t sure how Nico would react to knowing that being a third of a demon was going to be useful. It certainly felt like you were a degree of expendable bit you had to start somewhere.

The door of the van swung open. Nico must’ve spotted you from the outside, but it wasn’t her that stepped out.

The man with the short white hair, Nero, stepped out. His hand was on his sword. Your first thought was that he was out for another root extermination run, but instead, he was staring right at you.

Chills emerged from your spine, consuming you. It wasn’t hard to know what that look meant.

V immediately stepped in front of you, his body forming a barrier between you and Nero.

“She’s turning into a demon, V,” Nero said, continuing his approach. “We have no cure. This is what we have to do.”

That cemented his intent. You took an instinctive step back, eyes glued to the sword that glinted in the faint sunlight.

“(Y/N) can be of use to us. We’ve just tested that she can sense the Qliphoth root’s sources.”

“And what? You can use her all you want now. But just you know, one day she’ll turn a blood sucking demon and stab you in the back.”

Nero’s hand twitched on his sword and V did the same for his cane. Nero was testing the dark-haired man, and he seemed determined to protect you. It was hard to scope out the severity of your issues. V could wipe away demons in a second. You didn’t doubt that ability with Nero.

You felt like a burden to V. Hasn’t he done enough to help you already?

You reach into your pockets and tossed your gun and the knife onto the ground. The weapons skidded across the ground between the two men. You then stepped forward, in front of V, and raised your hands. The two men turned to look at you.

“Until that happens know that I mean no harm,” you called out to Nero. “I know things look rough right now, but I want to help the city just as much as you do.”

Nero grunted, the fingers on his sword twitching.

“It’s not going to be pretty, (Y/N). I’ve been in the business long enough to know what’s going to happen. I’m saving you a lot of pain later on,” Nero said with a hint of sympathy. You shook your head.

“I failed protecting the city once… I won’t fail again,” you said.

It was clear you had no chance of winning, but you still wanted to prove to yourself that you were braver than you actually were.

Nico stepped out of the van and placed an arm on Nero. He looked to her confused as she shook her head. She lowered his sword arm and looked over at you.

“Listen. Nero’s right. Won’t be pretty and I’ve seen the signs already. It ain’t no offence to you, (Y/N) but… I can’t let you in the van anymore. V over there’s gonna have to be the one to take care of you.”

You glanced over at V, instinctively looking for any signs he would be against it. You got nothing. It was just his same, stoic pose and thoughtful expression. In fact, when he noticed you were staring he smiled at you. That melted your worries away.

“Let us make haste then, shall we?” V said. He turned and grabbed your shoulder, nudging you to walk away with him. You obliged, awkwardly giving Nico and Nero one final look.

“H-hey! Where are you goin’ now?” Nico called out.

“Back to exterminating. I’ll see you further into the city,” V said, stopping slightly to speak.

You could feel stares burning into the back of your neck. You felt a pang of shame at the impression you were leaving Nero and Nico like that. The goal was to be friendly with them and get through this demon invasion by working together. Though their words still stung you. What was going to happen with your body was out of your control. Hopefully, V was right about the cure-

Something else tingled at the back of your neck and you spun.

You needed a moment for your brain to catch up to what your body did. The way you moved way too fast and too out of the ordinary. You lowered your hands, which were now holding two items. It was your knife and your gun. Nero had kicked them to you just then.

You gasped, shocked at the inhumane, subconscious reaction that you had just performed.

“See that? Watch your back, V,” Nero called out one final time before retreating into the van. Nico followed shortly after, unphased by the whole thing.

“ _Nice catch.”_

Griffon appeared, hovering in front of you. You stared down at your hands. The imprint from catching the weapons were bright red on your palms, which quickly faded away. You weren’t just quick with the catch. Nero kicked those weapons towards you at a lethal speed.

“Thanks… but I’m not sure if I can take the credit,” you said, still partially in disbelief.

****

You and V travelled through the quieter parts of the city. Dealing with the smaller roots grew more comfortable with you as you tried to get used to you demonic senses. Still, they grated on your nerves and you found yourself doubting the whole point of this.

Night was beginning to settle and exhaustion was slowing down. All you wanted was to find somewhere safe to sleep for the night. Griffon scouted ahead, searching through broken windows and peering through collapsed entrances.

You wish Nico had kicked you out after a night’s rest and some dinner but it is what it is. Although Nico and Nero’s concerns were fair, you began to draft ways you could patch the bridge with them in your mind.

Griffon got lucky finding an apartment building that wasn’t too wrecked in the chaos. You and V pushed away rubble and found and humble abode, albeit a bit dusty and windy from the large chunk of the wall being taken out in the other room. Still, it would be a comfortable place to stay for the night. Once the bird did his job he flew out of sight, claiming that he’ll keep watch from above.

You raided the kitchen for easy to make foods while V shook the dust off of blankets in the bedroom. There were some simple canned fruits that were easy enough to open. You offered one to V and the two of you sat around a flashlight that illuminated the dark.

You found some forks and the two of you ate in silence. V ate like a gentleman, modest bites and barely making a noise. The man was elegant in almost everything he did, even sitting in a ruined apartment in the middle of an even more ruined city, eating a badly opened can of fruit sitting around a makeshift torchlight ‘campfire’.

You chuckled to yourself at the thought then continued eating.

“Does something amuse you?” V asked, cocking his head slightly to the side. You shook your head.

“Just a small thing,” you said, “To be honest, I'm glad to be able to take a break from… you know, everything.”

V nodded in agreement then took another bite. As the conversation stalled you peered through the cracked window of the living room. The night illuminated the tree in the distance with a red aura. You had a feeling that effect was probably from the blood being harvested.

Despite the cruelty, there was some alluring about the otherworldly aspect to it. The world held so many secrets and learning about the Qliphoth felt like you were just scratching the surface.

You blinked away.

_No. Don’t get too interested in something you don’t want to be a part of. Just get cured and let that be the end of it._

You stifled a yawn and set the can down. V glanced up, then also set down his food.

“I believe it should be time we should rest, (Y/N),” V said. He gestured towards the bedroom in the other room and you frowned. There was only one bedroom from what you saw and the bed was made for one person.

“Where will you sleep?” you asked.

“Just here,” V said, gesturing to the living room. You frowned.

“Are you sure?”

“If anyone deserves the bed, it is you. You’ve been through a lot and I do not mind,” V insisted, ending the conversation.

It’s unavoidable to feel bad in a situation like this but you were still happy with the idea of sleeping in a bed. You were exhausted to the core. Shadow appeared from V’s tattoos and curled up against the wall next to him. V leaned into the creature and pulled out his book.

_Ah. Lucky guy. He has his own sleeping arrangements._

“Sleep well, (Y/N),” V said, nodding before immersing himself into his book. You waved in return and closed the door behind you after entering the bedroom.

The mattress felt heavenly against your aching muscles. You could’ve moved into a proper sleeping position but you fell asleep faced down and sprawled on the mattress before you could.

****

The sounds of a gasp woke you.

It was almost another worldly instinct. A chill against the back of your neck, hairs rising on your arm. Were you… sensing something?

You heard another sound. Another shuddered gasp coming from the other room.

_Was V in danger?_

You whipped out your weapons and adopted a battle stance. Cautiously, you pushed open the bedroom door and immediately took aim. The door swung open with a series of creeks, your heart raced at the thought of a threat.

But no. The living room was as you left it with V lying on the ground. Though, Shadow disappeared, replaced with a strange hovering orb and V’s hair had gone white.

You put your weapons away and approached the man fearing the worst. Physically he seemed alright but it was like he was having a nightmare. The orb shifted and you flinched. You saw the thing deform and warp, a paw and a tail whipping out of it before being sucked into the orb again. Was Shadow trapped?

You knelt down and rolled V onto his back. The man groaned, almost in pain. His body was deathly cold, skin pale with his skin nearly blank save for the faint imprints of his markings.

You heard a faint whine in your head and your attention was drawn towards the tree in the sky. There was something about it that made it glow brighter, pulsing even. For the faintest of moments you got the sensation of eyes meeting yours, though all you were seeing was the tree.

You gritted your teeth. Was the tree harming V somehow? You couldn’t leave him like this.

“Come on, you should be the one using the bed,” you said, more to yourself, before sliding your arms beneath his back and legs. In one heave, you lifted V into your arms.

You expected him to be heavier, but the combination of your ailment and his state made V feel like he barely weighed anything. You carried him into the bedroom and laid him down. The comfort of the mattress and the blanket did little to stop his shivering and mumbling.

Unsure of what to do, you joined him. You couldn’t leave him freezing to death on this cold night.

Carefully, you wrapped your arms around V. He almost retaliated at the feeling of your arms wrapping around him in his sleep but to your relief he quickly relaxed. In fact, it seemed to be helping.

You sighed and pulled him close to your chest. Even though the layer of the blanket you could feel his icy body temperature. His pained moans turned into faint mumblings. It was like you were using your body to shield V from whatever potential influence the Qliphoth was having on him somehow.

“Hang in there, V,” you whispered into his ear, “I’m here…”

It didn’t feel awkward. Rather, it felt like it was the right thing to do. It didn’t take long until you felt V’s body relax against yours. His tense shoulders dropped, followed by his body uncurling slightly. The deep furrow he had in his brow began to fade, his expression a sign he was drifting into a more favourable dream.

You heard a sound and a familiar panther approaching the door. The cat stared at you, eyes glowing in the dark.

Huh. Did it break out of its strange orb form?

“I don’t know what’s happening, but I think your master’s going to be alright,” you said. Shadow seemed pleased and took its place by the door. The beast curled up and its head relaxed onto the ground with a muffled thud.

You closed your eyes, V’s hair tickling your cheek as you tried to fall back asleep. Your heart stopped racing and you felt yourself beginning to lose consciousness. You fell asleep to the scent of old books and wild flowers, and for a moment you felt warmth coming from V’s body.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, I ended up not liking the story and I don't feel like writing this anymore.


End file.
